Engine Dies

[mopar Joe 65]

Electrical issues , I recently had a post about no spark with my 383, I thought I found the problem? I have a proform distributor and orange box setup it ran pretty well till it quit completely I replaced the orange box and it fired right up it seemed to run good but after a few minutes it dies ? I am thinking about replacing the whole works with a billet type from 440 source . I will post a photo of the one I am looking at. Just wondering what your thoughts were ?

 

[Davea Lux]

Have you tried a different coil? A shorted coil will work fine when it is cold and then short out when it warms up. The pickup module on the distributor will sometimes do the same thing. You can test the module with a test light, hook the test light to a power source and hook the ground lead for the test light to the wire coming out of the distributor to the coil. As you crank the engine, the test light should blink on and off if the module is working. You would want to perform this test after the engine has quit. Mopar orange box units need a clean ground to operate properly so be sure to check your ground. The billet distributor you have in the photo generally uses a GM type module with GM type plug wires so you would need to buy a set of aftermarket wires in addition to the basic distributor. That will set you back another $60 unless you specify a female type cap which is usually sold seperately. The other work of caution is that you would want to be sure the distributor does not have a chicom knockoff module inside as those are a POS.

Dave

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

I believe I've had a near similar run then die encounter, issue was a ballast resistor.

Dunno why it did that, some resistance change with it heating up?

I tried cranking again, but no start.

The ballast resistor had a good crack going across the back of it.

(I reckon that's why the motor did not try to start anymore because of the crack forming)

 

[Northcoast300h]

When I changed mine to a Petronix kit, my coil got hot and died. But when it died, it blew the mufflers off with a massive backfire. Coil was sizzling. So I got rid of my ballast all together and have been running a low .6 ohm coil but high voltage of 45,000 volts with no problems for over 10yrs. I don't know if that will work for you, but hope the best.

 

[mopar Joe 65]

I am using a blaster 2 coil and I tried a different one, same thing? I also have a new ballast resister and even bypassed it ? I really thought I had it fixed when I replaced the orange box because it was hard to start before and with the new box it starts immediately? It only runs for a minute than acts like you turned off the key ?

 

[mopar Joe 65]

My other thought is to do away with the orange box and install a pertronix kit in my old points distributor ?

 

[Northcoast300h]

If you go with a Petronix kit, I first started with Petronix 1 which ran better than points. I figured Petronix 3 would be great, but car always ran weird. I couldn't dial it in, so I tried the Petronix 2 and works great with low ohm coil. Test for worn bushing first on old distributor. It'll still work, but it will be difficult to dial in timing.

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

Another thought,

Ignition switch?
There is accessories/OFF/run/start
The run circuit being affected in the switch perhaps? Heating up and breaking the connection?

Bad ground on the distributor causes this type of issue also I've heard from some folks.

Oh looks like Davea Lux has already mentioned bad grounding. Ok scratch what I said.

 

[Northcoast300h]

That jogged my memory Sir Dodge. I had to change my ignition switch. Would die, but I was able to start it. Good call. Could be ign switch or even a weak electrical link somewhere.

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

As a matter of fact I'm having this issue right now with inconsistent operation of my IGN switch, Car will run but once shut off from hot, I need to jump the starter relay stud terminal with a screw driver to get it started again.

I'll take the minor inconvenience over paying at least 100+ USD for a sketchy NOS switch.

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

Electrical issues , I recently had a post about no spark with my 383, I thought I found the problem? I have a proform distributor and orange box setup it ran pretty well till it quit completely I replaced the orange box and it fired right up it seemed to run good but after a few minutes it dies ? I am thinking about replacing the whole works with a billet type from 440 source . I will post a photo of the one I am looking at. Just wondering what your thoughts were ?

View attachment 551340

Never really asked, but how does the car run till it shuts off?

All smooth? No sputtering? Is the shut off sudden?

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

Another one, a faulty or failing Ammeter.

The Ammeter connects through the firewall bulkhead connector, and to the majority of your electrical system under hood.

(bulkhead connector, another potential cause for concern where corrosion may be present on the spade terminals causing high resistance & potential melted wiring insulation)

If the ammeter is failing or otherwise has failed, it can leave you stranded or burn your car down even!

A member on this forum has a guide on upgrading your ammeter wiring, I think the name of the member was "C barge"

Anywho I digress.

 

[CBODY67]

Is the "Proform" unit from them or is it a later Mopar Perf unit? Just curious.

IF the car starts and runs fine until it stops running, should not be any reason to replace the entire distributor unit, unless you just want to. Check the circuits with a volt/ohm meter and see what works before and after it stops. THEN you might find where the open is in the circuit that stops the engine.

Also, for general principles, check the "big red wire" on the inside of the bulkhead connector. That feeds the ignition switch. Make sure its connector is firm and tight, but still removeable.

It might seem like an "it was ok the last time I looked . . .", but clean the battery posts and the inside of the terminals that attach to it. After I installed the MP electronic ignition kit on my '67 Newport, it started and ran fine, for FIVE starts, but on #6 start attempt, nothing. Everything was still connected and no evidence of anything wrong. A new starter relay did not change things, either. THEN on more serious looking, ai saw a thin coating of gunk sneaking out from between the terminal and batter post. I removed the cable ends and found a coating of gunk on them, which would otherwise have been not seen. After cleaning the cable ends' inner surfaces and the posts themselves, END of problems.

An aftermarket electronic voltage regulator?

If you do not have the FSM, you can download it and carefully peruse the wiring schematics.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

Somthing to add on Cbody67's post, after cleaning the spade connectors, be sure to pack the bulkhead connector FULL of dielectric grease, the grease will displace the air/oxygen.

No air/oxygen = no rust to form.
Dielectric grease also improves electrical properties.

 

[CBODY67]

Somthing to add on Cbody67's post, after cleaning the spade connectors, be sure to pack the bulkhead connector FULL of dielectric grease, the grease will displace the air/oxygen.

No air/oxygen = no rust to form.
Dielectric grease also improves electrical properties.

Seems like many of the OEMs would spray a bubbling bead of spray undercoat onto the outside of the wiring connector/terminal block to basically do the same thing. In a time before we knew what dielectric silicone was. Only thing is that dielectric silicone will dry out and become waxy with time, which might long-term compromise its desired seal, by observation (the drying out part). BUT anything is better than nothing, too.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[Sir Dodge alot]

Oh, I didn't know that the grease dries out, The more you know.

On that note, I slather clear silicon grease all over the battery terminal studs. It keeps the corrosion from forming.
(The white chalky stuff)

 

[CBODY67]

It will dry out over years, not days or hours, by observation. So it ought to be good for quite a while, but it seems that the brown stuff that GM used to put in some of their replacement light sockets would last longer than the "clear' dielectric grease, I suspect. The clear stuff can work well as a rubber lube for things like hood bumpers and such, too.

 

[WOT440]

I am using a blaster 2 coil and I tried a different one, same thing? I also have a new ballast resister and even bypassed it ? I really thought I had it fixed when I replaced the orange box because it was hard to start before and with the new box it starts immediately? It only runs for a minute than acts like you turned off the key ?

Had the exact same thing happen to me. Three new boxes would run for one minute then die. Finally ditched them for the Pertronics. No issues since. Now I am thinking HEI conversion, as the GM modules are dependable. Not saying this is right or wrong, just putting it out there.

Spark It Up: How to Convert a Ford or Mopar Distributor to GM HEI


How do you Convert HEI to Mopar

http://[URL]http://www.designed2drive.com/

[/URL]

 

[mopar Joe 65]

Hey guys , thanks for all your input I finally got it running today. I put a pertronix 2 kit in my old points distributor and it started right up and runs great. I guess I had another orange box that went bad ? It would start right up and run ok for about a minute then die. I guess my distributor is still good I just didn’t want to buy another orange box to find out. Anyway lots of $$$ later and it runs .

 

[Slap Stick]

Dielectric grease is NONCONDUCTIVE. It does NOT improve connectivity. If it did you wouldn't want to use it in places like the bulkhead connector as it would cause short circuits between connector pins.